Councils: Unaccountable, ready to tax? #DCC #ORC

When decisions are made in secret, and councillors know that the people will never know what was said and done at the meeting, there is no way of holding them to account.

### ODT Online Fri, 11 Apr 2014
Wherefores of council decisions should be public | Secret democracy is an oxymoron
By Hilary Calvert
OPINION The DCC has come a long way in providing more transparency and therefore more accountability. Fewer meetings are held behind closed doors. More information is made available after meetings when there have been non-public proceedings. However, we should not give up the search for more transparency with the job half done. All sorts of things still happen behind closed doors in council chambers.
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There is no doubt debate on the matter is needed – but giving councils the option to impose extra taxes, without some guarantee the profligate spending of some will be closely monitored, will be a recipe for disaster.

### ODT Online Fri, 11 Apr 2014
Editorial: Property rates not enough
OPINION Local Government New Zealand says basing rates on property values alone may soon be no longer sustainable as the sole form of taxation for many councils. Instead, it says, it will investigate other forms of taxation, such as local consumption and local income taxes, as complementary alternatives. This may lead to residents, workers, visitors and motorists within a council boundary contributing to a council’s bottom line through targeted taxes.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image critic.co.nz – Hilary Calvert (Critic Issue 17, 2013. Article 3175, posted 28.7.13 at 4:45pm by Jack Montgomerie). Re-imaged by whatifdunedin.